ABOVE: Joel with Ezekiel, Rachel, Maurice with Colton, Brenda, Emily, Kristian, Nadine, Nathan, Ruthie, and Aaron • Photo courtesy of Arlene Repar (arlenerepar.com)
Three Weddings and a baby!
In the VanEgmond family, BINGO is a common theme. Not that the hugely extended family plays a normal version of the game. It just happens. Like when this past Thanksgiving, when Brenda took a break of sorts and flew to Edmonton with her mother to attend a family wedding. On the plane, she heard someone call her name, but figured it couldn’t be for her. Well, turned out it was Mike Vandertoorn, also from Brighton, sitting a row or two behind her, flying out to visit his daughter. As with most people of her joyous heritage, Mike is connected. Sort of. Mike’s mother Elizabeth, 81 and a tireless volunteer in Brighton is the sister of Gerald Draaistra’s late mother, Corrie. Both immigrated from Holland after the Second World War. Brenda and Gerald were friends in high school, and it was through Gerald that Brenda met Maurice, whom she married 30 years ago. One of Gerald’s good friends is Ron Prins, who is the general manager of Gerald’s company Vanderlaan Building Products. 1 0 2016 Wedding Trends
Ron’s brother is married to Brenda’s sister, and building is a family trade. Brenda works at Ducon Contractors, owned by David Wikkerink, a relative. Brenda and her husband own and operate VanEgmond Carpentry, and his lead hand is his son Nathan, a licenced carpenter. The company’s apprentice is Kristian Batchelor. Kristian, until his recent marriage, boarded with Doug and Roxanne Ewing, whose daughter Meagan is married to Kyle Rhebergen, a carpenter’s apprentice with Ducon. Meagan’s brother Gavin was the emcee when Kristian married Emily VanEgmond on September 19, 2015, the sixth anniversary of the day Kristian and Emily started dating, and the third wedding of Maurice and Brenda’s children in 365 days.
from their unshakable faith and genuine goodness – keeping Brenda and Maurice sane through the last year. They are the first to acknowledge their blessings – their charming farm on the eastern reaches of Northumberland County, their three daughters, one son, three sons-inlaw and one daughter-in-law, two grandsons, and the massive – no other word for it – extended family – all of whom share and continue to rejoice in the simplicity of mutual support and fellowship.
The rollercoaster started quietly, with Nathan and Nadine announcing their engagement, and planning for a September 20, 2014 wedding. Nadine is the daughter of Dick This is one of the many threads in the and Arlene Wolters. Arlene is the daughter tightknit first generation of children of post- of Bernie Kloosterman, whose property is Second World War Dutch immigrants who close to Nathan’s parents, and who grew the form such a nucleus in the Quinte area. sunflowers for his granddaughter’s wedding. Short of jumping out of a perfectly aircraft, Pay attention. There are a lot of links in this it may be one of the few things – aside family.